5 Indicators of Misery Index

[HotRocks]

Well thank goodness that recession is over: The 5 Indicators of the Misery Index

"If you want to track a broader recovery, I would recommend people examine the five indicators of the misery index.  Food stamps, bankruptcies, long-term unemployed, foreclosures, and credit card defaults are probably your best gauges to the real economic recovery.

The bottom line is the misery index shows no solid economic recovery.  I suppose it depends on what we are looking at if we want to say we are in a recovery.  If we are looking at banking profits and Wall Street then yes, the recovery is here.  If we are looking at other data like bankruptcies, unemployment or foreclosures then the story is very different."

[Megadoom]

Wait till this government realizes the gigantic tax revenue shortfall that's coming in 2010! Obama is going to go grey in a week!

[ralfy]

Prob. related:

http://www.doomers.us/forum2/index.php/topic,55992.0.html

[yellowrocker]

I think the big story is more than the number of unemployed. Yea sure, the unemployed will spend less money for christmas shopping. But so will a HUGE number of people that still have jobs, but are worried their job might be eliminated or their pay checks cut. These worries will also lead to less christmas shopping.

And these folks that are worried don't even show up on the misery index.

[HotRocks]

But so will a HUGE number of people that still have jobs, but are worried their job might be eliminated or their pay checks cut. These worries will also lead to less christmas shopping.

Yup, this Black Monday is going to give whole new connotation to the term.